


Beautiful Dreamer

by nerdcredred, Ocelot_l



Series: Lifetimes [2]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, vague mentions of death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdcredred/pseuds/nerdcredred, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey comes home late one night to discover one of his teammates suffering a nightmare - a condition he's extremely familiar with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful Dreamer

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for AT4W episode Archie Giant Series Magazine #452.
> 
> All works can also be found at my LiveJournal page at http://bookishlady242.livejournal.com/
> 
> We do not own these characters nor the people who portray these characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. "Moon River" is performed by Andy Williams. This story falls into the Lifetimes universe but is its own work with no definite place in our timeline, other than taking place sometime after Linkara and Harvey have become a couple.

Harvey quietly whistled to himself as he walked through the front door to the base. He locked the door securely behind him and tossed his keys onto the counter. It was 2 AM and he’d just finished up a set at a local nightclub followed by a rare three encores - the crowd simply couldn’t get enough of him. “Finevoice, you’ve still got it,” he murmured as he went to the fridge for a bottle of water to soothe his throat. 

Around him, the base was silent and shrouded in darkness, the others upstairs and asleep, most likely. It was a familiar scene for the singer, who was more used to coming home after midnight than before, and one he’d been experiencing for decades. There was just something so peaceful about coming home in the middle of the night and knowing everyone you cared about was tucked in for the night. Harvey often took quick strolls around the base on nights like these, pausing at the door of each room until rhythmic breathing or soft snores confirmed his hopes that his teammates were safe and sound. This was also a familiar experience for Harvey, one carried over from long ago when he…

A chill went down Harvey’s spine as past memories tried to make themselves present in his mind. He closed his eyes and downed the rest of his water, forcing the images back, trying to lock them away in the small corner of his mind that he rarely ventured into when conscious. There was no reason to be thinking about that now, not when he was finally feeling good about himself and making real progress with his life. 

_“Gotta remember what the Kid says: keep positive and don’t dwell on the past.”_ Harvey nodded as he thought about his boyfriend’s wise words. He almost wished he were still awake for a late night talk, but he knew that while Linkara often did stay up longer than the others to work, he was probably in bed by now. Oh well, it was probably better that way, since Harvey wasn’t especially thrilled with the idea of discussing with Linkara things that might cause him a sleepless night or two. Feeling the gloom starting to return, Harvey cleared his thoughts before refocusing his attention on the happiest one in his life: Linkara. After a few minutes envisioning his boyfriend, Harvey managed a smile at the thought of walking into his bedroom, sliding under the covers, and feeling the hero snuggle up to him in his sleep. _“Yeah, that’s the ticket. Hold onto those thoughts, Finevoice, or you’ll never get some shut eye.”_

Harvey put his bottle away, grabbing one more in case he woke up thirsty during the night, and walked up the stairs, ready to turn the corner and join Linkara, when he heard a noise that made him pause. 

He held his breath as he strained his ears in an attempt to recognize the sound. It sounded like panting and whimpering, as if someone were writhing around weakly in fear or pain. A horrible flash of familiar fear coursed through his body and without thinking he followed the sound, the journey leading him to the door of 90s Kid’s room. Harvey wasn’t really quite aware of where he was, though, since he was more intent on quickly but quietly opening the door to peer inside. 

90s Kid was tossing and shaking in his bed, beads of perspiration dotting his brow. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and there were tears oozing out of them. “Stop… let me go… help me…” Still caught up in a haze which made it difficult to think clearly, Harvey went to his bedside and put an arm on the teen’s shoulder, shaking him. “No… no… stop it…” 90s Kid continued to mumble fearfully. 

“Junior! Hey, wake up!” Harvey commanded, raising his voice slightly louder than he’d wanted to. 90s Kid’s eyes suddenly shot open and he looked around the room in confusion before his cheeks flushed red. Harvey gazed down at him in concern. “You okay? You sounded like you were having a nightmare there.” 90s Kid hastily wiped his eyes and sat up in bed, gripping the sheets in his sweaty palms. 

“N-no, it was, like, nothing, dude… I’m totally o-okay…” The tremor in his voice spoke volumes and Harvey sat down next to him on the bed. 90s Kid gazed down at his hands, which were still holding wads of bedsheets in tight fists. He looked as though he wanted to be left alone, but Harvey was definitely not going to leave. 

“Hey, it’s okay now, Junior. Everybody has bad dreams sometimes.” Harvey’s voice had taken on a soft, very comforting tone that was unfamiliar to 90s Kid and caused him to blush deeper. He kept his gaze down and shook his head. 

“It was nothing…” 

Harvey frowned a little but kept speaking in his soothing voice. “Junior, it was something. You kept saying things like ‘stop’ and ‘help me’. Like you were trying to get away from something, or someone…” 90s Kid started to tremble and Harvey’s tone got even gentler. “You wanna talk about it? C’mon, it might help.” 90s Kid sighed shakily. 

“It… it felt so real, man… like it was back…” Harvey shifted slightly on the bed so he could listen better, his eyes locked on 90s Kid. “It was… dark… and I could hear the, like, static… and I knew it was hurting you guys… that…that I was hurting y-you guys… and I couldn’t stop it…it’s all my fault…” The singer’s eyes widened as he realized what 90s Kid was talking about. 

“The Entity?” 90s Kid flinched at the name and turned away from Harvey. He slid both of his hands under his pillow and seemed as if he wanted to hug it to his chest, but actually he was holding onto the soft Care Bear plushie that he always kept there in case he felt scared. Harvey sighed, taking off his fedora and running a hand over his head. “Junior, that wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t you doing all that stuff. You had no choice.” 

“B-but I should’ve been able to stop it!” 90s Kid kept going, starting to get hysterical. “It kept taunting me, it got me first cuz I was weak and junk, and the only things I remember are, like, you guys getting taken and I should’ve been able to save you and I was so totally useless!”

Harvey suddenly reached a hand out, barely registering the feeling of sweat coming into contact with his hand as he started to rub small circles on the teen’s lower back. 

“Calm down, Junior, take it easy,” he gently instructed. At first 90s Kid tensed at the touch but soon enough Harvey could feel his body relax beneath his fingers, his breathing slowing to a much calmer pace. “There we go. It’s okay now.” Harvey handed him the bottle of water he was still holding. “Drink this.” 90s Kid tentatively took the bottle from him and drank, a little of it dribbling onto the sheets. “Now listen to me. That thing is gone. The Kid took care of it for good, so it can’t get you now, or any of us. I know that dream you had seemed real, but it was just some cuckoo pictures in your head. They can’t hurt you, Junior, you’re too strong for that.”

“Really?” Harvey’s expression softened when 90s Kid tilted his head up to give him a shy, slightly hopeful look, as if he couldn’t believe Harvey could ever think such a thing about him.

“Really. You’re far from weak. You’re actually quite a tough guy. After that thing kicked the bucket, you didn’t let it get you down. You kept going because you knew you had to keep on keeping on.” 

90s Kid fidgeted slightly, mixed feelings of happiness and uncertainty within him. Harvey patted his back and said in a low, kind voice, “Don’t blame yourself, kiddo. It’s something that happened to all of us, and you weren’t useless, so don’t say that.” 90s Kid sniffled, taking another drink of water. 

“It was like, a year ago, man. I should be over this by now.” He went to rub his eyes again when Harvey suddenly put an arm around 90s Kid’s shoulders, causing the teen to look up in slight surprise. 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Junior.” Harvey was glad 90s Kid couldn’t see his cheeks reddening in the darkened room. “You aren’t the only one to still hear that static after all this time.” 90s Kid’s face scrunched up in thought before the light bulb clicked on. 

“You mean you still have, like, bad dreams about this too?” Harvey nodded, patting his arm. 

“Sometimes. It doesn’t happen all the time, but there are still nights where I hear that static and go back to that moment where I… I still remember it, Junior. But that doesn’t make me a coward any more than it does you.” Harvey briefly recalled the other, more prominent nightmares he often had, the ones that could scare him so badly he wouldn't be able to sleep for at least two days afterwards, but he knew better than to mention those. Those had nothing to do with this and there was no way a teenager would be able to relate to them anyway, so Harvey kept his mouth shut and watched as 90s Kid pondered his words in silence for a few moments. 

“So…so I’m, like, not going crazy?” Harvey chuckled softly, smiling at how innocent the teen looked and sounded right then. How had he grown up so quickly but retained that childlike quality Harvey treasured, much more than even he allowed himself to admit.

“No, you’re not going crazy, kiddo. We may be saving the world, but we’re still human. Everybody has a bad dream now and then, but that doesn’t make us weak, and don’t think for a second that we blame you for what happened. It wasn’t your fault.” Harvey said the last words with such finality that 90s Kid couldn’t even think of arguing. He finally smiled back before surprising Harvey by pulling his arms out from under his pillow and wrapping them around him.

“Thank you.” His voice sounded shaky again, like he was on the verge of tears once more, so without thinking, Harvey hugged back.

“It’s nothing, Charlie.”

Harvey froze after the word slipped out, his whole body going numb. No. He hadn’t just said that. How could he have made such a stupid mistake? A dull ache arose in his chest as Harvey battled back an onslaught of old, painful memories, but he knew he couldn’t avoid them for long. 90s Kid would want to know why he’d just called him by that name. The thought of explaining made him sick to his stomach and Harvey felt the overwhelming instinct to simply let go of the teen and flee from the room. But it was too late. 90s Kid had pulled back and was staring at him in confusion, but also in surprise.

“You-how did you know my name?”

“What?” The blood drained from Harvey’s body even as his heart thudded in his ears. No, this wasn’t happening. He must have been the one having a nightmare and at any second he was sure he would see what he feared most. _“Please, Lord, I can’t see him now. I’m still having trouble sleeping through a full night… please, don’t do this to me again…”_

“My name,” 90s Kid repeated, interrupting Harvey’s frenzied thoughts as his cheeks started to grow red again. “Well, actually my middle name, but everyone called me that cuz my first name’s so dorky.”

Harvey blinked a few times, trying to reassure himself that he was in fact awake and looking at the real 90s Kid, who wouldn’t suddenly transform into a familiar mop-topped boy whose smile could make his heart soar before shattering it completely. “You… you’re telling me you were called Charlie once?”

90s Kid nodded. “Back when I lived in the past. I was gonna tell you dudes about it, but when I first got here, I had, like, no memories of stuff, even my name. And then some people here just started calling me 90s Kid cuz I loved all the awesome stuff from the 90s and I dunno, I just liked that better.”

He looked down, embarrassed about having this revelation known, but Harvey was still too stunned to think straight. More images of bright eyes and tiny hands that so easily fit into his own were flooding his frontal lobe and threatening to break him.

“So what’s your first name?” he blurted out, the first thought that came to mind when he managed to push back all those memories. 90s Kid’s shoulders tensed again but he replied in a whisper.

“Xavier. Don’t laugh at it, dude.”

“I won’t.” 90s Kid looked up again, surprised by how serious Harvey seemed. His eyes were still transfixed on the teen. “I just can’t believe that you… I guess I’m just surprised is all.”

“Um, Harvey-dude? Can you still, like, call me Junior? I totally like that name better.” 90s Kid looked so small and fragile right then that only a heartless demon could dare refuse such a request.

So it was all a coincidence. Of course. It wasn't unusual for people to share the same name, not one bit. Yet Harvey could still feel his hands shaking uncontrollably no matter what he did with them, so in an effort to calm the both of them down, he reached out and squeezed 90s Kid’s shoulder affectionately. 90s Kid smiled again and Harvey couldn't help relaxing slightly as he noticed his trembling start to slow.

“Thanks, Harvey.” A sudden yawn overtook 90s Kid then so he shifted slightly and laid back down, meaning to rest his head on his pillows again, but in the darkness his head accidentally landed on Harvey’s leg. He froze for a moment, knowing he should move, but the warmth of his thigh beneath his dress slacks was very comfortable and made him feel safe. 

Harvey stilled as well when he felt 90s Kid’s cheek pressing against him, not sure what he should do, but an answer came quickly. He decided to reach a hand down and stroke the teen’s hair until he heard a soft sigh escape his lips. The best thing he could do right now was to forget his own issues and help him get back to sleep. Harvey felt for the bottle of water and took a drink, thinking that he had one more performance left in him that night. He closed his eyes and allowed one memory to return to him, one of him holding a frightened young boy in his arms and rocking him slowly while he sang a song they would both come to love.

_“Moon River, wider than a mile, I’m crossing you in style someday…”_

90s Kid’s eyes also slid closed as he listened to Harvey’s soft singing. He could feel the knot of fear in his stomach loosen as he finally started to relax again. Even though bits and pieces came to him every so often, 90s Kid still remembered almost nothing of his life before getting pulled out of time. This included his family, although what little he did recall did not encourage 90s Kid to continue trying to remember further. But like all kids, he yearned for some sort of father figure to come into his life, and at last he felt like he’d found one in Harvey. Sure, they might mix like oil and water on some days, and sometimes they drove each other nuts, but 90s Kid continued secretly looking up to him for guidance and acceptance. Few things made him feel better than when Harvey smiled at him and ruffled his hair, his special signs of approval and affection. 

_“Oh, dream maker, you heartbreaker, wherever you’re going, I’m going your way…”_

Harvey couldn’t help but be flooded by memories as he continued to sing, but instead of his past, he watched images from only a few years ago float through his mind. He remembered somewhat shamefully the days where he really hadn’t got along very well with 90s Kid. The teen still annoyed him sometimes, but they had grown closer ever since that stupid hologram had threatened to tear the team apart… and since Harvey had stopped trying to push him away.

Harvey still felt guilty when he remembered his previous treatment of 90s Kid. He had been so angry, so dismissive and cold when all the child had needed was support and understanding. But Harvey had never wanted to understand. He hadn’t wanted to notice the similarities: how 90s Kid smiled so brightly when he returned from being away on tour; how 90s Kid always tried to read comics or play games with him with an enthusiasm for life that was rarely seen in adults; how he watched Harvey on stage with awe and told him he was the greatest singer he’d ever heard.

Harvey’d heard all that before. He’d been through it all with Charlie and he couldn’t bear to repeat it a second time, not when there was an even greater risk of losing him… of losing them all. So he’d put up a façade of disinterest and scorn when 90s Kid was around, hoping he would stop trying to forge any sort of relationship with him, hoping to hurt him enough that he’d back off for good, ultimately preventing Harvey from feeling any more pain in case the worse happened. But he knew now that he couldn’t do that any longer, even if he wanted to. Harvey had finally opened his heart to Linkara and now… he wanted to open it to 90s Kid as well. Even if he wasn’t a child but a teenager on the cusp of becoming an adult himself, 90s Kid still needed a father figure in his life and Harvey wanted to take him under his wing to make sure he grew up right, make sure he grew up safe. He never wanted a child to be unsafe under his care again.

_“Two drifters, off to see the world, there’s such a lot of world to see…”_

Harvey felt a strong surge of affection for the teenager. He wanted 90s Kid to know that he was proud of him, that he thought he was a good kid, that he was growing up just fine with the help of him and Linkara. They had all lived together for years and could all call each other friends, but lately…they had really seemed to become a family. Not one bound by blood, but by something deeper, something stronger. They weren’t family just because they had to be, but because they wanted to be a part of this team. Harvey would put his neck on the line for any of them, and he knew that the others would unquestionably do the same. He was going to ensure he kept this family together at any cost.

_“We’re after the same rainbow's end, waiting around the bend, my huckleberry friend, Moon River, and me…”_

90s Kid’s breathing had calmed completely and Harvey could tell he was fast asleep. He very gently moved his hands to 90s Kid’s shoulders, sliding his leg out from under him, before placing the teen’s head on his pillow. “Sweet dreams, Junior,” he whispered as he crept out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Harvey took a deep breath and stood quietly as he engrained the peaceful scene into his memory, one which he would allow himself to revisit on lonely, sleepless nights, before he turned around to head to Linkara’s bedroom. He stopped suddenly when he saw the man himself standing in the hall and smiling. 

“What are you doing up?” 

“I heard you come home and then upstairs, but you never made it to my room. I was going to come looking in your room, but I heard something happening with 90s Kid, and I couldn’t help but listen in. Sorry, but I am relieved you already took care of it.”

“It was nothing.” Harvey blushed, looking embarrassed at being caught in a good deed, and Linkara chuckled.

“You’re just a big softie underneath it all, Harvey.” 

Harvey couldn’t help chuckling back. “Yeah, I suppose I am. He’s a good kid.” Linkara smiled and nodded, reaching out to embrace Harvey.

“And you’re a good man. He’s lucky to have you in his life, looking out for him. You’re really amazing at that, Harvey.” Harvey could sense that Linkara wanted to say something more but was holding back. He glanced down and noticed Linkara was watching him carefully, his brow slightly furrowed as what must have been a multitude of thoughts raced through his mind. Harvey was about to ask what the problem was when he remembered what Linkara had just said.

“So you listened in on everything, Kid?” Linkara faltered before nodding. Harvey exhaled softly and lowered his head. “So, you probably want to know why I called Junior… Charlie.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Linkara said at once. “It’s not my business-”

“Actually, it is.” Linkara looked confused before Harvey pulled him into a tighter hug. “You’ve decided to be with me, and that gives you the right to know everything about me. Even the things I… I can’t tell the others about.”

His breath hitched slightly and Linkara wrapped his arms tighter around Harvey. “Are you sure? You really don’t have to, Harvey. I don’t want to make you relive something if it’s painful.”

“No, it’s okay. I want you to know, Kid. You deserve to understand what kind of man you’re going to be with.” Harvey pulled back before loosely grabbing Linkara’s wrist. “Come on. I need to show you something.”

Linkara allowed himself to be led into Harvey’s room and stood in the doorway curiously as he watched the singer bend down so he could pull something out from under the bed. It was a large, black trunk that was very old and worn in a few places but otherwise in good shape. Harvey fingered a bronze lock on the front of the trunk before pulling out a key from his pocket and slipping it inside. Once open, Linkara observed a number of things inside the space, including several books, records, old-fashioned clothes, and even a bottle of scotch. Harvey shifted all those things around before withdrawing a brown, leather-bound book.

“This is the album I haven’t shown you, Kid.” Harvey sat down on the side of his bed and patted the space next to him, indicating that Linkara should sit beside him. Linkara complied and watched Harvey open the book. “I haven’t looked at this since that head-doc you sent me to asked me to bring it to one of our sessions. It didn’t go over so well, but now…” Harvey trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. He decided to let things happen as they may and turned to the first page in the album. The very first picture was of him, looking much younger but just as handsome, in a fine charcoal gray tuxedo. It took Linkara a few seconds to tear his eyes from his very gorgeous face to realize Harvey’s arm was around a beautiful woman wearing a lacy white gown that could have only been made for a bride. Linkara was struck by how lovely she was, tracing a finger over her fine features a moment.

“My wife.” Harvey’s voice was soft, barely audible. “My ex-wife, I mean. I should have told you earlier, Kid, I know that. But it still hurts to talk about her… to talk about my life back then.”

Linkara pulled back his hand and turned to Harvey, concern filling his eyes.

“Harvey, what happened? Please tell me what’s hurt you so badly.”

Harvey took a shaky breath and gripped the album tighter in his hands. “Do you remember when we first met? You found me lying on the ground with the clothes on my back and a bottle in my hand as my only possessions in the world?” Linkara nodded. The memory of that day still tugged on his heartstrings when he thought about how pathetic and miserable Harvey had looked upon their first meeting. “Well, Kid, that day I’d decided I really didn’t give a hoot if I lived or died anymore. I’d lost everything… my wife, my friends, my… my son.”

Linkara’s eyebrows shot into his hairline as Harvey turned a few pages until his eyes became transfixed on images of Harvey holding a small bundle of blankets in his arms and grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

“Your… son?” Linkara breathed, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“My little Charlie.” Harvey’s eyes filled with tears as he told Linkara everything. Once he’d started talking it was like turning on a faucet and every memory, every happy day they’d spent together, every thought and feeling for his sweet little boy came tumbling out. Harvey kept turning the pages as he talked, showing Linkara more and more pictures of Charlie, until his hands trembled so badly that he could no longer grip the next page. “He was everything to me, Kid… and I… I… I failed him.”

Linkara felt heartbroken as Harvey started breaking down. He brought his hands to his face, sobbing softly into them, the album slipping from his lap and landing with a soft thud on the carpet. At once, Linkara pulled Harvey close to him and laid down on the bed so the older man could cry into his chest.

“Oh Harvey… I never imagined you went through something so awful,” he murmured, holding him tightly as he rested his chin on top of his head. “I’m so sorry… I wish I could help make it better…” Linkara sniffled as well, feeling himself tear up as he wracked his brain for anything he could do to ease Harvey’s pain.

To his surprise, Harvey took a few deep breaths and pulled his head back up so he could kiss Linkara softly.

“Kid, you’ve already done so much more than you know,” he said, voice slightly croaky and eyes red. “You picked me up off the street, got me help, a place to live, a job and… and you showed me that anyone can have a second chance. A chance for life, happiness, and love. Not only your love, Kid, which I wouldn’t give up for anything, but… but the love of a family.” Harvey closed his eyes again, tears leaking down his cheeks. “I never thought I would be able to… I never thought I was worthy… but you’ve given me so much more than I deserve… you’ve given me a purpose again, Linkara. And I w-will never be able to thank you enough for that."

Linkara couldn’t help smiling at Harvey even as hot liquid spilled from his own eyes as well.

“You don’t need to thank me, Harvey,” he whispered, pulling Harvey close again so he could kiss the tears from his cheeks. “Just remember that I love you… we all love you.”

Harvey slept soundly in Linkara’s arms that night even though Charlie appeared in his dreams again. This time, though, instead of the hellish visions he was accustomed to seeing, Harvey watched his boy splashing happily along the riverbank with 90s Kid while a beautiful full moon hung in the sky overhead. Harvey settled back against an old tree, prepared to watch them laugh and run around for the rest of his life. Just then, they stopped and turned to him, still giggling and now waving happily. Harvey waved back.

“That’s my boys.”


End file.
